This invention relates generally to aerospace leading edge structures, and more particularly relates to nacelle leading edges in gas turbine engines.
A gas turbine engine includes, in serial flow communication, a compressor, a combustor, and turbine. The turbine is mechanically coupled to the compressor and the three components define a turbomachinery core. The core is operable in a known manner to generate a flow of hot, pressurized combustion gases to operate the engine as well as perform useful work such as providing propulsive thrust or mechanical work. A turbofan engine adds to this basic structure a fan and a low-pressure turbine system to drive the fan, to produce additional propulsive thrust.
In aircraft usage, a gas turbine engine is frequently mounted with a nacelle which encloses the engine, provides a streamlined flowpath over the exterior of the engine, and defines an inlet and outlet for airflow through the engine.
Nacelle inlets are required to resist bird strikes and prevent bird penetration into internal cavities of the nacelle. One problem with prior art nacelle inlet designs is that they may be subject to failure mode from bird strikes that would require undesirable increase in the strength and weight of the component parts.